Natalie MontiGirls soccer

Kubasaki, Okinawa

Last week: Scored five goals, giving her nine for the season, and helped the rebuilding Dragons improve to 6-3-1 with two victories.

Monti, one of four freshmen in the starting lineup, scored a goal each in the second and third periods of a three-period, 90-minute match in which the Dragons fell behind 5-2, but rallied for a 6-5 victory at Kubasaki's Upper Field on Wednesday. Three days later, Monti racked up her first three-goal game in Kubasaki’s 6-0 shutout at Okinawa International.

With two starters sidelined by injuries, coach Terry Chumley moved Monti to forward, where “she’s really stepped it up,” Chumley said of Monti, who normally plays midfield. “She’s been a big factor in our matches this week. She took advantage of the opportunity at forward, and she helped us along the way.”

Manuel DuranTrack and field

Kadena, Okinawa

Last week: Captured four gold medals, two individual and two relay, helping lead the Panthers boys to a repeat of their team title in the Okinawa Activities Council district track and field championship at Camp Foster.

Duran, a junior, won the long jump in 21 feet, 3½ inches and took 3 seconds off his personal best while taking the 400 in 50.78 seconds. He also anchored Kadena’s victories in the 400 and 1,600 relays, with respective times of 44.15 seconds and 3 minutes, 33 seconds — after Duran had dropped the baton on the final leg of the 800 relay.

“As a coach, you always wonder how kids will react to adversity,” coach Sergio Mendoza said. “He responded admirably. He showed a lot of character. We were really lucky to get him at our school. He pushes himself just as hard in practice as he does in meets. That’s something you can’t teach.”

— Selected by Stars and Stripes staff

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